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''The Far-Distant Oxus'' is a children’s novel of 1937, written by Katharine Hull (1921–1977)〔Carpenter and Prichard, 182.〕 and Pamela Whitlock (1920–1982).〔Carpenter and Prichard, 569.〕 The title comes from Matthew Arnold's poem ''Sohrab and Rustum''. Hull and Whitlock met when they were schoolchildren (fourteen and fifteen respectively), whilst sheltering from a thunderstorm.〔Bearne and Watson, 56.〕 They discovered shared interests and decided to write a story about ponies set on Exmoor.〔 They planned out the entire book and wrote alternate chapters, exchanging them afterwards to edit.〔 The story follows the model of the books of Arthur Ransome, describing the school holiday adventures of children of active, adventurous families, centred on outdoor activity and a vivid landscape soaked in imagination. Ransome had boats and Windermere, ''The Far-Distant Oxus'' had ponies and Exmoor. Whitlock sent the manuscript to Ransome in March 1937; he in turn brought it to his publisher Jonathan Cape, saying that he had "the best children's book of 1937" for him.〔Brogan, 353.〕 Cape published the book in the same format as ''Swallows and Amazons'', and persuaded Ransome to write the introduction. The book, with illustrations by Whitlock, was indeed successful; contemporary reviewers were impressed and critics today are still positive. ''The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books'' comments that it is "as absorbing as Ransome at his best".〔Watson, 1121〕 The two authors followed it with ''Escape to Persia'' (1938), ''The Oxus in Summer'' (1939) and ''Crowns'' (1947).〔(Jane Badger page on the books )〕 Fidra Books reissued the novel in August, 2008.〔(Fidra Books page on the book )〕 ==References== *''The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English'', by Victor Watson, Cambridge University Press, 2001 *''The Life of Arthur Ransome'', by Hugh Brogan, Jonathan Cape, 1984 *''The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature'', by Humphrey Carpenter and Mari Prichard, Oxford: OUP, 1984 *''Where Texts and Children Meet'', by Eve Bearne and Victor Watson, Routledge, 1999 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Far-Distant Oxus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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